Insect exterminator



Jan. 22, 1957 w. A. POHLMAN INSECT EXTERMINATOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 21, 1955 Jan. 22, 1957 w. A. POHLMAN INSECT EXTERMINATOR 3 Sheets-Shee t 2 Filed March 21, 1955 Jan. 22, 1957 w. A. POHLMAN INSECT EXTERMINATOR a Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 21, 1955 United States Patent "cc I 2,778,150 INSECT EXTERMINATOR Application March 21, 1955, Serial No. 495,520 3 Claims. (Cl. 43-139) This invention relates to an insect exterminating device, and in particular it relates to a unit of large size which may be used outdoors for the destruction of crop destroying pests. This application is a continuation-inpart of my copending application Serial No. 433,328, filed June 1, 1954.

Most crop-destroying pests stay in the growing crop, close to the ground, and do not come within reach of an insect exterminating device of the conventional sort.

Furthermore, in areas where there are enormously heavy concentrations of insect pests the conventional exterminating devices which use electrically charged grids in conjunction with a light or other insect attracting means become choked with. dead insects so rapidly that they must be frequently cleaned inorder to maintaintheir efiiciency.

In accordance with the present invention, an insect attracting means such as an electric light is positionedabove the mouth of an insect receiving and guiding conduit the inner end of which is a distributor portion which opens into a blower housing in which is' a largecapacity -suction fan. The distributor portion is shaped and dimensioned to minimize turbulence in the air stream approaching the fan.

Mounted coaxially with the fan and driven by a separate motor at a different speed is a rotating insect chopper trifugal force makes it substantially self-cleaning; and the spokes are effectively in the plane of the discharge end of the conduit so that insects flung oil? the ends of the spokes go out the end of the conduit instead of piling up on its wall.

The spokes are slender enough to develop substantial from the fan also helps to prevent insects from being blown between the blades. Two motors are less expensive than a single motor and gear train because a one H. P. motor is adequate for the fan and one-half H. P. for the chopper, while a five H. P. motor would be needed to drive the fan direct and the chopper through gears.

With an 18 inch four-blade fan operating at 1750 R. P. M. in a 20 inch housing having a one foot square 2,778,150 Patented Jan. 22, 1957 Fig. 4 is a section taken as indicated along the line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5- is a fragmentary rear elevational view;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary section taken as indicated'along the line 66 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary section taken as indicated along the line 7-7 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken as indicated along the line 88 of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken as indicated along the line 99 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail, and referring first to Fig. 1, the present invention includes an insect receivmg and conducting conduit, indicated generally at 10, having supports 11 by means of which it is mounted upon a table 12. An insect attracting means such as an electric light 13 is mounted above the horizontal inlet end 14 of the conduit 10 on a bracket 15.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, the inlet 14 of the conduit 10 is horizontally disposed beneath the light source 13, and the conduit has an arcuate receiving portion 16 which is square in cross section and which is provided with parallel air flow guide plates 17. The receiving portion of the a circle, it has fiat faces 20 which are in the formof long triangles having their bases adjacent the receiving portion 16 andtheir apexes at the margin of the blower housing 19.

In the blower housing 19 is a bracket 21a foran electric fan motor 21 and a chopper motor 22 which are disposed 1,500 C. F. M

The shape and size of the distributor portion 18 is important in directing the incoming insect laden air to the propeller 25 with a minimum of turbulence. cally, in the preferred embodiment shown the portion 18 merging on long inclines into a larger circular outlet also assists proper flow of air.

The chopper shaft 24 is provided with a chopper, indicated generally at 26, which is best seen in Figs. 6 to 9. The chopper has a pair of interlocking hubs 27 and 28 which have circumferential flanges 29 and 30, respectively; and on the respective flanges are radial spokes 31 stead of piling up on the wall flanking the chopper.

As previously pointed out, the air blast through the conduit andthe blower housing employing an '18 inch fan at 1750 R. P. M. produces an air flow through the machine of about 15,000 cubic feet a minute, and the insects may be caught up in the air flow toward the conduit inlet 15 for a considerable radius around the inlet. The air blast passes through the rotating chopper which ,chops the insects. The centrifugal force of the rotating chopper tendsto throw the choppings off :the blades, so that they may be carried out of the fan chamber in the air blast. The fan motor 21 is preferably one ,H. P. while :the chopper motor 22 is one-half H. P.; and the latter has a lowernormal speed than the .former.

The foregoing detailed description is given forfclearness ;of understanding only and no unnecessary :limitations are to be understood therefrom, as some ,rnodifications will be obvious to those skilledin the art.

I claim:

.1. In an insect exterminator: an insect receiving and conducting conduit having an inlet'end ;and a discharge end which opens directly to the atmosphere; a pair of electric motors mounted in tandem in said conduit with their shafts axially positioned therein, said ,tmotors having different normal operatingspeeds', .a propeller type fan on one motor shaft .whichextends entirely across the conduit; and ,a chopper member on the other .motor shaft, said chopper member including a hub and v a plurality of radially extending spokes .on said hub et iectively in the plane ct the discharge end of the conduit and extending entirely thereacross, said spokes having unobstructed outer ends so that insect particles may he hung ed the spokes by centrifugal force and discharged outside the exterminator.

.2. In an insect exterminator: an insect receiving and conducting conduit having an inlet end and a discharge end which opens directly to the atmosphere; a pair of electric motors mounted in tandem in said conduit with their shafts axially positioned therein, said motors having difierent normal operating speeds; a propeller type fan on one motor shaft whichextends entirely across the condnit; and a chopper member on the other motor shaft, said chopper member including a hub and a plurality of radially extending spokes on said hub effectively in the plane of the discharge end of the conduit and extending entirely thereacross, said spokes being unsupported at their outer ends, whereby insect particles may be flung off the spokes by centrifugal force and discharged outside the exterminator.

3. In an insect exterminator: an insect receiving and conducting conduit having an inlet end and a discharge end which opens directly to the atmosphere; means for creating a high speedair blast through said conduit; and rotating chopper means extending across the discharge end of the conduit, said chopper means including a hub and a plurality of -radial1y extending spokes on said hub which are effectively in the plane of the discharge end of the conduit and which are unsupported at their outer ends, whereby insect particles may be flung off the spokes by centrifugal force .and discharged outside the exterminator, said hub including two spaced circumferential collars, and the spokes are secured to each collar with a.

minimum angular displacement between spokes, the spokes on one collar beingoffset from those on the other collar so that there is substantially no circumferential space between a spoke on one collar and the adjacent spokeon the other collar.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

